*batteries not included (1987)

Aliens help a feisty old New York couple in their battle against the ruthless land developer who's out to evict them.

Director:

Matthew Robbins

Writers:

Mick Garris (story by), Brad Bird (screenplay by)

Stars:

Hume Cronyn, Jessica Tandy, Frank McRae

2 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Hume Cronyn	...	Frank Riley
Jessica Tandy	...	Faye Riley
Frank McRae	...	Harry Noble
Elizabeth Peña	...	Marisa Esteval
Michael Carmine	...	Carlos
Dennis Boutsikaris	...	Mason Baylor
Tom Aldredge	...	Sid Hogenson
Jane Hoffman	...	Muriel Hogenson
John DiSanti	...	Gus
John Pankow	...	Kovacs
MacIntyre Dixon	...	DeWitt
Michael Greene	...	Lacey
Doris Belack	...	Mrs. Thompson
Wendy Schaal	...	Pamela
José Angel Santana	...	Goon #1 (as José Santana)

Storyline

A group of tenants in an apartment block are being forced to move out so that it can be demolished. The tenants are reluctant to move, so the developers hire a local gang to 'persuade' them to leave. Fortunately, visiting alien mechanical life-forms come to town. When they befriend the tenants, the aliens use their extraterrestrial abilities to defeat the developers.

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Plot Keywords:

elderly people | cafe | cafe owner | property developer | elderly protagonist | 

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Taglines:

Five ordinary people needed a miracle. Then one night, Faye Riley left the window open.

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Genres:

Comedy | Family | Fantasy | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

In Harry Noble's back-story. he is a former professional boxer who retired after suffering brain damage, became a reclusive handyman and turned to a nonviolent philosophy.

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Goofs

When Carlos escapes from the cellar after throwing Harry down the stairs, he tries the door to the main entrance which is locked. In the same scene, Harry beats Carlos up and throws him out of the door, however, Harry opens the door without ever using a key to unlock it.

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Quotes

Frank Riley: Where's the goddam toaster?

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Crazy Credits

During the opening credits, pictures of young Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy are shown. This includes their actual wedding photo, since the actors (who often play a married couple on stage or in the movies) were married for decades.

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Alternate Versions

When aired on KTLA in 1991, the following scenes were omitted: When Frank attempts to give Faye her medicine; Before Frank asks for somebody to help them, he breaks a vace and kicks a chair; a scene of Carlos and his gang planning; Frank and Faye are reading the newspaper and while one of the spaceships pours them coffee, Faye asks what ever happened to General Eisehower; Harry searches his room for his whistle; While Marissa, Hector and his friends hold a fiesta in the apartment, Mason sits outside and drinks.

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Connections

Referenced in The Troop: Batteries Not Included (2010)

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Soundtracks

Let's Have Another Cup of Coffee
(uncredited)
Written by Irving Berlin
Performed by Jessica Tandy and Hume Cronyn

User Reviews

Use only as directed...

*batteries not included is a very underrated movie, especially among reviewers on the IMDb. The pros, such as Roger Ebert seem to give it some respect (along with 3 thumbs up). There was nothing sugar coated about the performances of the 5 main characters in *batteries not included. Jessica Tandy gives one of the best performances of her career as Faye Riley who appears to be in the early-to-mid stages of Alzheimer's disease. Hume Cronyn is Faye's husband Frank, owner of a small diner with no customers. Elizabeth Peña is Marisa Esteval, a single soon-to-be mother who clings to her statue of the Virgin Mary for what little hope she has. Dennis Boutsikaris is the cynical artist/painter Mason Baylor, who has a heart as big as his artistic talent, yet no one other than Marisa seems to acknowledge his talent. Finally there's Frank McRae as the former boxer extraordinaire Harry Noble, now living in the basement of the building that houses each character and the Riley's diner. Oh... Harry watches way too much TV... especially the commercials. His only lines (which were few) in this movie were lines from commercials. This movie represents a cross section of people who are on the verge of losing their homes to a real estate developer, who will stop at nothing to get them out of their building. After throwing large sums of money at them (to no avail), the developer hires Carlos (Michael Carmine) to run them out using whatever means are necessary, including force. The characters are developed to the point that you actually care for all 5 of them. Just when it looks hopeless for our friends, small spaceships, compliments of Industrial Light and Magic show up and start fixing everything. And flipping burgers in Riley's Dinner. They also wash dishes, repair broken Virgin Mary statues and stopwatches and they replicate using spare pots and pans and electrical appliances, fused together by at least 1.21 gigawatt's of electricity. Although the aliens are portrayed as mechanical beings with heart, they certainly give hope to the residents, and help bind them together. The visual effects are a treat... especially for those of us who have tired of CGI effects that look more like a cartoon than reality. There's something about filming a real model, built by human hands against a blue screen, then matting it into the film that makes it look more realistic than computer animated visuals. Many have written that this movie tries to suck the viewer in, using emotional techniques, as opposed to making it an intellectual masterpiece. I believe it takes more talent to get the audience to emotionally invest themselves in a movie than to create eye candy. Thanks to great acting, a decent-enough script, good cinematography and an equally emotional score from James Horner, this picture works in every way... even 20 years later. If you haven't seen this movie in 20 years, go ahead and give it a spin. It's as good today as it was in 1987! Prices may vary in Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico...

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

18 December 1987 (USA)

Also Known As:

*batteries not included

Filming Locations:

Times Square, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$25,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$3,326,530, 20 December 1987

Gross USA:

$32,945,797

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$65,088,797

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures, Amblin Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

106 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1